In 2020 and early 2021, the Peale participated in the Lexington Market Public History Initiative in an effort to collect stories and memories about the world-famous Lexington Market as the market itself prepared for a redesign and reopening. The initiative’s core partners were Baltimore Heritage, Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, Lexington Market, Inc., Market Center Community Development Corporation, Seawall, and the Peale, and the work was partially enabled by a Pathways Grant from the Maryland Center for History and Culture. This project was financed in part by the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s Thomas V. “Mike” Miller History Fund.

Kendrick Keys: I'm a native to Baltimore, but have lived in many different places, including the UK. My favorite memory about Lexington Market is during the holiday season, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lexington Market was like a Whole Foods today. It had the best produce, and it had the best meat and fresh fish. You could pick up fresh flowers. And it had specialty stands for chocolates and candies, I remember going to. But also, Baltimore was known for having roasted peanuts outside. So when you arrived at Lexington Market, you instantly knew where you were. No matter where you were from in Baltimore, no matter what your socioeconomic background was, everyone would meet at Lexington Market. It was a great place for families to shop for food and other items.

Asset ID: 9147